Filter assembly with sealed, magnetically coupled cleaning head actuator

A filter assembly comprising:

• a housing defining an enclosed space, said housing having an inlet opening into the enclosed space and an outlet opening from the enclosed space;
• a filter element disposed in the enclosed space within said housing, wherein said filter element is positioned in said housing so that a process stream introduced into the enclosed space through said inlet opening flows through said filter element prior to discharge through said outlet opening and said filter element has a surface against which filtrate is trapped as the process stream flows through said filter element;
• a cleaning head disposed in the enclosed space within said housing and having at least one cleaning blade positioned to abut the surface of said filter element;
• a sealed tube within the enclosed space of said housing;
• a first magnet disposed in said sealed tube so as to move within said sealed tube;
• an actuator assembly connected to said sealed tube or said first magnet for selectively moving said first magnet in said sealed tube;
• and
• a second magnet located in the enclosed space in said housing and located adjacent and external to said sealed tube, said second magnet being magnetically coupled to said first magnet to move along said sealed tube with the movement of said first magnet and being attached to said cleaning head so that said cleaning head moves with said second magnet, wherein:
• said filter element surrounds said sealed tube;
• and said at least cleaning blade is positioned to abut the whole of the surface of said filter element that surrounds said sealed tube.

A filter assembly comprising:

• a housing defining an enclosed space, said housing having an inlet opening into the enclosed space and an outlet opening from the enclosed space;
• a filter element disposed in the enclosed space within said housing, wherein said filter element is positioned in said housing so that a process stream introduced into the enclosed space through said inlet opening flows through said filter element prior to discharge through said outlet opening and said filter element has a surface against which filtrate is trapped as the process stream flows through said filter element;
• a cleaning head disposed in the enclosed space within said housing and having at least one cleaning blade positioned to abut the surface of said filter element;
• a sealed tube within the enclosed space of said housing;
• a first magnet disposed in said sealed tube so as to move within said sealed tube;
• an actuator assembly connected to said sealed tube or said first magnet for selectively moving said first magnet in said sealed tube;
• and
• a second magnet located in the enclosed space in said housing and located adjacent and external to said sealed tube, said second magnet being magnetically coupled to said first magnet to move along said sealed tube with the movement of said first magnet and being attached to said cleaning head so that said cleaning head moves with said second magnet, wherein:
• said actuator tube has opposed top and bottom ends and said first magnet is disposed in said actuator tube so as to move between the top and bottom ends;
• an air tube is connected to said actuator tube and opens into the top end of said actuator tube;
• said actuator assembly includes:
• a first air line connected to said sealed tube through which air can be supplied to the bottom end of said actuator tube;
• a second air line connected to said air tube through which air can be supplied to said air tube to the top end of said actuator tube;
• a source of compressed gas;
• and
• a flow control assembly connected at one end to said first and second air lines and, at a second end to said source of compressed gas for directing the flow of compressed gas to said first air line or to said second air line.

A filter assembly comprising:

• a housing defining an enclosed space, said housing having an inlet opening into the enclosed space and an outlet opening from the enclosed space;
• a filter element disposed in the enclosed space within said housing, wherein said filter element is positioned in said housing so that a process stream introduced into the enclosed space through said inlet opening flows through said filter element prior to discharge through said outlet opening and said filter element has a surface against which filtrate is trapped as the process stream flows through said filter element;
• a cleaning head disposed in the enclosed space within said housing and having at least one cleaning blade positioned to abut the surface of said filter element;
• a sealed tube within the enclosed space of said housing;
• a first magnet disposed in said sealed tube so as to move within said sealed tube;
• an actuator assembly connected to said sealed tube or said first magnet for selectively moving said first magnet in said sealed tube;
• and
• a second magnet located in the enclosed space in said housing and located adjacent and external to said sealed tube, said second magnet being magnetically coupled to said first magnet to move along said sealed tube with the movement of said first magnet and being attached to said cleaning head so that said cleaning head moves with said second magnet, wherein:
• said filter element surrounds said actuator tube;
• and
• said at least one cleaning blade positioned to abut the whole of the surface of said filter element that surrounds said actuator tube.

A filter assembly, including:

• a housing defining an enclosed space, said housing having an inlet opening into the enclosed space and an outlet opening from the enclosed space;
• a filter element disposed in the enclosed space within said housing that extends longitudinally in the enclosed space, said filter element being positioned in the enclosed space so that a process stream introduced into the enclosed space through said inlet opening flows through said filter element prior to discharge from said outlet opening and said filter element has a surface against which removed material is trapped as the process stream flows through said filter element;
• an actuator tube disposed in the enclosed space in said filter housing and extending longitudinally at least partially through the enclosed space and being located inward of the surface of said filter element against which removed material is trapped, said actuator tube having opposed top and bottom ends that are sealed from the enclosed space;
• an air tube disposed in said actuator tube, said air tube having a top end that is open into the top end of said actuator tube;
• a piston slidably disposable in said actuator tube between said actuator tube and said air tube, said piston having at least one first magnet;
• a tube assembly connected at one end to said source of gas and at a second end to the base of said actuator tube and to said air tube;
• a cleaning head located in the enclosed space of said housing between said filter element and said actuator tube, said cleaning head having at least one cleaning blade that is positioned to abut the surface of said filter element against which removed material is trapped and at least one second magnet, said at least one second magnet being located adjacent said actuator tube and being magnetically coupled to said at least one first magnet so that said at least one second magnet causes said cleaning head, including said at least one cleaning blade, to move longitudinally with the longitudinal movement of said at least one first magnet.

A filter assembly comprising:

• a housing defining an enclosed space, said housing having an inlet opening into the enclosed space and an outlet opening from the enclosed space;
• a filter element disposed in the enclosed space within said housing, wherein said filter element is positioned in said housing so that a process stream introduced into the enclosed space through said inlet opening flows through said filter element prior to discharge through said outlet opening and said filter element has a generally cylindrical surface against which removed material is trapped as the process stream flows through said filter element;
• a cleaning head disposed in the enclosed space within said housing and having at least one cleaning blade positioned to abut said surface of said filter element;
• a sealed tube within the filter element of said housing;
• a first magnet disposed in said sealed tube so as to move within said sealed tube;
• an actuator assembly connected to said sealed tube or said first magnet for selectively moving said first magnet in said sealed tube;
• and
• a second magnet located in the enclosed space in said housing and located adjacent and external to said sealed tube, said second magnet being magnetically coupled to said first magnet to move along said sealed tube with the movement of said first magnet and being attached to said cleaning head so that said cleaning head moves with said second magnet, wherein said first and second magnets have paths of movement generally parallel to said generally cylindrical filter element surface.

A filter assembly comprising:

• a housing defining an enclosed space, said housing having an inlet opening into the enclosed space and an outlet opening from the enclosed space;
• a hollow filter element disposed in the enclosed space with said housing, said filter element being positioned within the enclosed space so that a process stream entering said housing through said outlet opening passes through said filter element prior to being discharged through said outlet opening and said filter element has a surface against which removed material is trapped as the process stream flows through said housing;
• an actuator tube that extends longitudinally through the enclosed space of said housing, said actuator tube being located adjacent said surface of said filter element against which removed material is trapped;
• a first magnet disposed in said actuator tube and positioned to travel longitudinally through said actuator tube;
• an actuator assembly connected to said actuator tube or said first magnet for moving said first magnet longitudinally through said actuator tube;
• and
• a cleaning head disposed in the enclosed space of said housing between said actuator tube and said surface of said filter element against which removed material is trapped, said cleaning head having a second magnet that is magnetically coupled to said first magnet to move in the enclosed space with the first magnet in said actuator tube and a cleaning blade that is connected to said second magnet to move with said second magnet and is positioned to abut against said filter element surface wherein at least one of said magnets is disposed within said hollow filter element.